Astigmatism
How does an astigmatism occur?
With an astigmatism, the curvature of the cornea is not regular. Light entering the eye does not come together at a single point. Instead of the image of a single point, this tends to create two lines or rods. The more pronounced or irregular the curvature of the cornea, the more distorted objects will be perceived.
Often patients have short-sightedness or long-sightedness in addition to an astigmatism, for which we can offer various options for treatment. The greater the number of diopters, the more pronounced the astigmatism.
How can an astigmatism be treated?
Operations to correct an astigmatism are possible in the area of the cornea (corneal or laser procedures) and the lens (lens procedures):
With laser procedures, tissue is removed from the cornea, to compensate for the curvature of the cornea. This requires the cornea to have a certain thickness and stability. With lens procedures an artificial lens with the correct curvature is inserted, to change the behaviour of the refraction. These are known as toric lenses. Lens procedures enable very large sight defects to be corrected, as this is not limited by the amount of corneal tissue that needs to be removed.
Various treatment procedures may be considered, depending on the type of defective vision you have:
Which procedure is the right one for me?
Not every eye is the same. The condition of the eye and the type of defective vision will determine which procedures are appropriate. As far as laser procedures are concerned, the SMILE method will be used in over 80 % of cases today.
Which operation or method is the best one for you, you will find out together with your doctor. The best thing for you to do is to give us a call and arrange an appointment.
Laser eye surgery
Lens operations
Lens procedures enable very defective vision to be treated, as there are no strict limits in terms of the number of diopters. However, the individual structure of the eye and the age of the patient are key factors when selecting the treatment method.